Game



Sept. 15, 1925. 1,554,022

' A. M. NELSON GAME 7 Filed March 9, 1925 F76] I ANNA M. NELsq/v.

Patented Sept. 15, 1925.

UNITED STATES ANNA NELSON, OF PORTLAND, OREGON.

GAME.

Application filed March 9, 1925. Serial N0.,14=,038.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it hereby known that I, ANNA M. NEL- SON, a citizen of the UnitedStates, and a resident of Portland, in the county of Multnomah and Stateof Oregon, have invented a new and useful Game, of which the followingis a specification.

This invention relates generally to games for providing amusement, andparticularly to a game board which can he used in competitive matches inwhich the skill of one player can be pitted against that of another.

The first object of this invention is to provide an exceedingly simple,efficient and inexpensive form of amusement in which two players canoppose each other in a contest of skill and watchfulness.

The second object is to so construct the game that one player will be onthe offensive during one period of the play and on the defensive dmringthe next period, and so on. I

The third object is to provide two kinds of movable objects or pawns,one kind representing sheep, which are in the majority and somewhatlimited in their power to move, and incapable of capturing an opponent;while the other kind represents a pack of wolves, less in number thanthe sheep but having greater powers of movement, and being able tocapture sheep under certain conditions.

The fourth object is to so construct the game that it cannot be wilfullyblocked or its progress delayed for any appreciable amount of time byeither player.

These, and other objects, will become more apparent from thespecification following as illustrated in the accompanying drawing, inwhich:

Figure 1 is a front elevation of the game board of which Figure 2 is aplan showing the position of the animals at the start of the game.Figure 3 illustrates the position which the opposing sides can take, inwhich the sheep have started down one side of the board and are havingtheir progress blocked by a wolf, and a second wolf has threatened thelives of three sheep, necessitating a protective move on the part of thesheep. Figure 4 shows the game in a further state of progress, in whichthe wolves make the next move, and in which one or two sheep will belost. Figure 5 shows a possible condition at the close of one period ofplay in which five sheep have successfully reached the sheep fold.

Similar numbers of reference refer to the same parts throughout theseveral views.

Referring in detail to the drawing, the game itself is preferably madein the form of a square board 10 in which are formed the holes 11 to 59inclusive. Lines 60 passing through the holes 11 to 59 parallel to theedges of the board are painted thereon, and are the sheep trails.Diagonal lines 61.perpendicular to each other pass through the center ofthe board through the hole 35, and their ends terminate in the holes 11,17, 53 and 59. Other diagonal lines 62, 63, 64 and parallel andperpendicular to the lines 61, intersect the lines 61 and extend betweenthe holes 14, 32, 56 and 38. The points of intersection of the lines 61with the lines 62 to 65 are marked with holes 66, 67, 68, and 69.

Twenty-one short round-headed pegs to 90 inclusive, representing sheep,are provided, as well as three tall square-headed pegs 91, 92 and 93,representing wolves.

In order that the principle of the game may be better understood itsgoverning rules will first be given as follows: The sheep can onlytravel along their paths which are the lines 60 running parallel to theedges of the board 10, but cannot move backwardly toward their startingpoint, although they can move laterally in either direction as often asdesired. They can move one hole at a time and cannot jump an opponent.Their sole object is to reach the sheep fold, which is the line 60 atthe further side of the board.

The wolves can travel in the sheep trails 60 or the wolf trails 61, 62,63, 64 or 65, going one space at a time along any of the lines, unlessthey are jumping, or when crossing the intersection of the lines 61 withthe lines 62 to 65 inclusive. In other words, a wolf, for instance, maytravel in one move from the hole 40 to the hole 69 or the hole 50,provided the latter is not occupied, in which case it would only bepossible to move to the hole 69. Any of the wolves can jump one or moresheep if the hole beyond the sheep is not occupied by another sheep oranother wolf.

In order to prevent any of the wolves from occupying a hole in the sheepfold for an undue amount of time their stay therein is limited to twomoves-that is, one each by theremaining; wolves r401 two: by one of thewolves, after which the wolf in the sheep fold must again move out,although he can again return to the fold if desired;

After a sheep has reached the fold it is privileged to move in anydirection alongw the sheep trails 60. The number of sheep entering thefo1dthat is, the total of thesheep in the outer row or the sheep fold,plus any ran row and the next part row ahead of it, will constitute theamount seored; Of course if the first-row is not completely-fined, thescore will be the number of'sheep in that-row; the period not beingconcluded until all ofthe sheep are either in -the ffold "or captured.

The operation "of the game is as follbws: The sheep andw'volves areplaced "on the board, as indicated in"FigU-1e 2-, and an opening made bythe sheep and wolves mov ing to the position show-n in Figure '3. Itwill be *seen in Figure 3 that the sheep 89 and 88,-"as well as thesheep 86,- are-now in peril-'frbm-th'e wolf 98, who can capture allthree 'of the sheep in a triple jump from the hole 56 throughthe holes'68, and 67 in succession: It therefore becomes necessary for the playerin charge of the sheep-to so move samethat this will not be possible, orthat the amount of sacrifice is reduced.

In Figure- 4: the positions have become stii-l more ZCOIHPlICELtQdySOmBthe sheep-having Worked'their way to the fold while some are "on theirway under protection of 'each other, While still others are easy prey tothe wolves. y

In Figure 5 it will be seen that all of the sheep but five have been"captured; this rep resenting the score-to be credited to the shepherdor player for the period.- The players now reverse sides and the game isfinished at the close of the second period in favorofthezplaye-r havingthe greatest number of sheep enter the fold. In case of a tie two moreperiods must be played.

I am aware that other games employing boards having holes providedtherein in Which pegs are moved about and players captured have beenconstructed in the past. I thereforedo notfintend to cover such a gamebroadly, but I do'int'end to cover "all such forms and modifications asfall fairly withinthe appended claim.

l'elaim':

A board having a plurality of spaced cross line's representing sheeptrails perpendicular to *eac'hioth'er formedthereon; a hole formediinsaid boardat each intersection of said cross 'lines', said boardhaving diagonal lines formed across "same joining its corner holes,saiddiagonal lines representing wolf trails said board also having asecond set of diagona'l ilines joining the middle holes in each outerrow with the middle holes of adjacent rows of holes-,- said lastmentioned lines also representing 'Wolf trails, each intersection'ofbothsets ofwolf trails being marked with a hole not on one of the sheeptrails; a plurality of pegs representing sheep permitte'dto travel alongsaid sheep trails only; and a plurality of pegs representing wolvespermitted to travel along said sheep trails or said-wolf trails and tocapture said sheep by jumping over same into an unoccupied hole inthesame straight line next adjacent to said sheep.

ANNA M. NELSON.

